Adventure is Out There

Today felt a bit like a whirlwind, filled with many different adventures and lots of driving from this place to that.

Our first stop was at a small in-home pottery shop which many of the team members have been looking forward to since day 1, especially Steph Stoker! We were greeted by a precious little monkey named Oliver and then headed downstairs where we had the opportunity to observe the precision, skill and patience it takes to create a masterpiece in pottery. He was truly amazing. Jenna then had the chance to try it and let’s just say the potter made it look super easy! We then went upstairs to the store and were amazed by the time and care that went into every item from a cup to an engraved vase.

 

I was personally quite excited for this stop at the zip line as I’m always up for a good adrenaline rush. We were harnessed up, thrown in the back of a van and then driven to the first line as the tension was building.

 

 After a short lesson on how to brake we whipped through all 11 lines in what I think must have been a record amount of time! Some went upside down, did the superwomen or even bounced all the way down all of which were very fun.  It was incredible to be able to see God’s creation from a different perspective in an unknown environment.

After draining our energy in the hot sun we were ready for lunch, which consisted of fried chicken, fries, coleslaw and Coke at Tiptop. Everyone was quite thrilled to have some “normal” home food.

 

Soon after lunch we headed to Lake Nicaragua for a boat tour. We carefully walked out on a makeshift pier and when turning around we saw horses freely galloping along the beaches. It was a blessing to have the time to take in the surroundings and witness that interaction between creation. We boarded 2 boats and headed towards “Monkey Island,” which is actually a grouping of islands where some of the wealthiest Nicaraguan reside. The boat ride included many laughs, feet dragging along in the water and yes we did also see some monkeys.

We then return to the city centre of Granada and took in the beauty held within the architecture and culture, especially the elaborate colours of the buildings.

 We then drove to the top of the Masaya Volcano, which is active and erupted one year ago. It was incredible to look down into the crater and see how smoke was continuously spewing out of it and occasionally thinned out allowing us to see the other side. It was in this moment when Wes asked me if I wanted to go to prom with him and I said yes! (Sorry I couldn’t resist) We all stood in awe of our Creator as we engaged with nature and felt His presence.

Our busy day wrapped up at an authentic Nicaraguan restaurant called Pupusas. We enjoyed our meals and headed back to the Nehemiah Centre ready to unwind. 

 It was a joy to feel the warmth of the sun beating down on us all day as we enjoyed a variety of activities and experiences within God’s world. Through these many adventures and time spent at Centro de fe our team has grown so much together and through our different weaknesses we have found strength as a whole and a love rooted in Christ.

Stephanie Keis